Bleeding Heart
by youreavegetable
Summary: Blaine is not as indestructible as he seems. When Kurt finds out about his rare medical condition, will he be there when Blaine needs him the most, or will Blaine's problem become bigger than both of them? Klaine is put to the test when hearts run wild.
1. Chapter 1

**Bleeding Heart - Chapter 1**

[I don't own Glee or any of these characters.]

* * *

Kurt could just see Tina's shadow wisp a quick goodbye to whoever might still be milling around the stage after rehearsal as she took off scampering through the auditorium doors. Mr. Shue had wrapped up rehearsal fifteen minutes later than usual because he wasn't convinced that everyone's Booty Camp bods were up to the endurance required at nationals just a few weeks away. Sue had lent him a spare Cheerios whistle to help him tighten up what everyone hoped would be McKinley's future National Show Choir Championship team, but by 4:15, even Mr. Shue looked exhausted, and when he called it a wrap, everyone scattered quickly. The shrill sound of the whistle still hung heavy in the air, thick with stage lighting and sweat.

It was Friday, and Kurt couldn't be happier. From center stage, he took a deep breath and stared out into the auditorium. The empty seats were full of anticipation, quiet, waiting. Kurt felt the warmth of the lights on the stage, and rather than letting his ivory skin recoil from the harshness, as it had throughout rehearsal, begging with complaint, his sweater too tight, his face sweating, uncomfortable and tired of the same old steps-now he relaxed. Now, on the stage alone, he let the warm yellow light rain over him, closing his eyes, letting his head fall back and smiling at the rigging above. A trickle of sweat dripped down his spine and sent that old familiar shiver up from his knees to his ears. His head snapped forward, eyes locked dead ahead on the empty seats, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth as an excited breath escaped his lungs. He was ready. He was exactly where he should be, on stage. He stood there for a moment, waiting for some sound to peal out, something like applause. Instead, his ears pricked when he heard the soft sound of another pair of shoes moving behind him backstage. He'd thought everyone had gone home, but then he remembered Blaine never said goodbye. He whipped his head around and walked directly toward the sound, as though leaving a dramatic scene.

"Blaine?" he called out, casting a quick glance around him. Everyone else had gone. They were alone. Kurt's eyes fell upon Blaine's jacket and scarf backstage. _Yep, still here. He would. _ He turned the corner to where the dressing rooms started, the yellow bulbs glowing softly in the shadowy space. It was so quiet back here. Kurt loved the way it smelled like dust and old costumes.

"Of course I'd find you back here putting your face on-" Kurt trilled as he made the last turn to the boys dressing room. Kurt had been watching and singing to Blaine throughout rehearsal—a move Mr. Shue did not overlook, "_Eyes on the audience, Kurt!" _He watched Blaine hit every mark with a kind of ferocity that reminded him of some warrior, a Broadway-bound warrior. By the end, he remembered catching a glimpse of Blaine drenched in sweat and hurrying backstage immediately after rehearsal ended. It was almost romantic, catching Blaine in the dressing room alone, all sweaty after rehearsal. Something warm churned in Kurt's stomach. "Hey," he breathed.

Blaine had his back to Kurt and was bent over rifling through his show bag amongst all the boys' costumes. Kurt made no attempt to be quiet as he came in but Blaine still didn't turn around.

"Blaine?" he started again. Kurt watched as Blaine dropped down to his knees and started searching more frantically than before. He still hadn't acknowledged Kurt was even there, and he was getting kind of annoyed. _Um, hello. Boyfriend?_

"Blaine!" he almost shouted, tapping him on the shoulder. That was when he noticed Blaine's shoulders moving up and down quickly between heaving breaths, noticed him clutching his chest. At the touch, Blaine whipped around and tried to stand but his face was completely drained of color, sweat dripping from his temple, his whole body shaking. He had managed to get halfway up from the ground when he began crumpling down again. Kurt caught Blaine under his arms, his whole body quaking. _Oh my god._

"Ku-ur-ur-uurt-" Blaine breathed, leaning against him.

"Oh my god, baby! What's wrong?" Kurt gasped, trying hard not to panic. Blaine had been looking for something. "What do you need?" No response, except for a strangled grunt of pain and Blaine's curling his shoulders inward, like his chest might split in two if he didn't. "Blaine, what do to you need?" Kurt demanded, as Blaine's eyes started slipping closed. "Blaine, look at me!" he shouted, and Blaine's eyes peeled open again, with much effort. Kurt gently laid Blaine's head down is his lap. Blaine was concentrating on his breathing, trying to slow it down as his pulse beat furiously through the veins in his neck and his heels dug hard into the floor of the dressing room, twisting signs of pain.

"My-pi-ills are in-n" Blaine's eyes rolled slowly in the direction of his duffle. Kurt saw a small rectangular box sitting atop everything else that had fallen out of his bag when Blaine collapsed. _Holy shit. Ok. _Blaine's small fists gripped the edge of Kurt's pants weakly.

"OK, ok, shh shh, it's gonna be ok," Kurt reached for the box with the days of the week stamped into each plastic section. He flipped open the F for Friday, and let the small pill roll out onto his own shaking hand. "Do you need water?" he asked as he placed the pill between Blaine's parted lips. _They're blue. His lips are blue. _ Blaine nodded yes and Kurt reached around for one of the half empty water bottles that had been rolling around this room for weeks, mentally preparing to dial 911, and thinking he probably should have already. He lifted Blaine's head a few degrees and poured the warm water into Blaine's mouth carefully, still spilling it all down his neck. "What else?" Kurt asked after Blaine swallowed and continued to work on slowing his breathing. It seemed like whatever Blaine was doing was helping. Blaine closed his eyes and breathed "Ba...na" was all he could get out before Kurt squeaked, "Banana, ok, I've got it here, in your bag." He quickly ripped open the peel and broke a small piece off the top to give to Blaine, who was still panting but his face seemed more relaxed. After a few minutes pause, Blaine had gotten his breathing to slow down enough to open his eyes again although dark circles had bloomed beneath them. He looked terrible, but at least a bit more in control.

"I-I think I can try sitting up," he said slowly.

"Ok" Kurt replied, still blocking his own panic from bubbling up in his chest. _ What the hell just happened? _ Kurt half-pulled, half-pushed Blaine into a sort of lounging position against his own body, breathing with him, Kurt's hands splayed protectively across Blaine's chest, supporting him and nudging a small piece of banana into his mouth. Blaine leaned his head back against Kurt's chest and chewed tiredly as Kurt prepared another piece. Blaine seemed relieved, getting calmer, his breathing becoming normal. Kurt helped him eat the rest of the banana in that position and for a few minutes they just sat there, breathing with each other. Blaine was the first to speak.

"So I guess I need to tell you something," he almost whispered.

If Kurt closed his eyes, they could almost be in bed, under the sheets, telling each other secrets no one else knew. Kurt squeezed his legs tighter against Blaine's body, their skin cooling down against each other.

"You can tell me anything," he exhaled. _Please tell me what's wrong. Please be ok_.

"First, I think we're okay, I'm feeling a lot better, and thank you...for..." Blaine searched for the right words, "being here..." Kurt felt their bodies humming together in a symphony of fear, adrenalin, and exhaustion.

"Second," Blaine found Kurt's hand and wrapped it in his own on his chest. He had waited too long to do this. It had been stupid for him to wait even a day, he knew that. Wes and David knew. All his friends in the Warblers knew about him. It was necessary. He should have told Kurt as soon as they became friends, and it was way overdue when they started dating. But it was nice feeling invincible, Blaine had liked seeing Kurt look up to him, he liked the way he looked at him like he was so strong. He'd _felt _strong. Too strong apparently.

"Yeah?" Kurt urged him on, clearly hanging on his words. He felt Blaine take a slow breath in, and listened as the words tumbled out.

"I have a pretty serious heart condition. I take pills for it every day and I normally take meds right before Glee. I forgot today because," he paused. _Because we were making out, oh my god_, Kurt thought. "We were running late..." Blaine continued.

"When I get too worked up, things can get really bad, really quickly." Blaine breathed while Kurt digested.

"Wait, so what does that mean-like what happened today?" Kurt started,"...did you just have a heart attack?"

"No, well no I don't think so. It sucked though. Basically, when I get too worked up, my heart can go into overdrive. That's what just happened."

"Ok, well that's... scary. Are you ok now?" Kurt asked timidly.

"Yeah, I think so. I'm just really tired. And I officially should not drive. Not to freak you out, but I'm pretty sure I blacked out for a few seconds during that." _Great yeah, not freaked out at all. Keep your cool, Hummel._

"Ok well that's easy, I'll take you home-actually, since your parents are out of town...I'll take you back to my place? Is that ok?" Kurt hoped. _There's no way I can leave you alone_.

"That sounds amazing," Blaine smiled tiredly, stretching his neck to place a soft kiss on Kurt's lips. Their eyes fluttered closed and Blaine only broke when he felt something flip flop inside his chest again. It startled him but it didn't hurt.

"And I want names and details about all this stuff and you don't get to tell me not to look it up. I'm Web MDing the shit out of this tonight." Kurt mumbled nervously, pressing his head against Blaine's. "I like your heart," he whispered, "I want it to be ok." Kurt's chin quivered but he swallowed hard and squeezed his eyes shut until the tears went back in. He thought of his dad after his heart attack, so still in his hospital bed. _Not now. He's fine. _Kurt thought.

"I love you," Blaine whispered. "And I'm ok." Kurt stared back sadly until Blaine added, "I'll let you buy me frozen yogurt on the way home." A smile betrayed Kurt at his eyes.

"Alright," Kurt breathed into his hair, kissing Blaine's head, "deal. And I love you, too." _Way too much_ _and I'm terrified._ Kurt helped Blaine get up slowly and was surprised when Blaine could walk almost normally, just leaning on Kurt a little.

They made their way to Kurt's Navigator slowly, Blaine's eyes twinkling in the late afternoon light, holding Kurt's hand tightly. Kurt thought he looked different, but maybe it was that he was seeing the man he loved for the first time. Kurt had seen Blaine squint into the sun so many times before, he'd been caught breathless thinking about it actually, but Kurt couldn't shake the feeling that the persistent glow and vigor Blaine always carried with him had something to do with the way he was looking into that sun—appreciating it, appreciating the air in his lungs, appreciating being…alive. Everything started clicking together, _serious heart condition, _and Kurt squeezed Blaine tightly as he helped him into his seat.

"I can buckle my seatbelt, Kurt," Blaine said, smiling down at him. He pulled Kurt in closer, into a deep hug, his fingers sliding up the back of his neck and holding him still. "I'm okay, I promise," Blaine breathed into his hair. Kurt always smelled so good, like fresh laundry and cedar. He sniffed and nodded against Blaine's chest before kissing him lightly on the lips and closing the door.

As Kurt got in from the other side and stuck his keys into the ignition, he paused, watching the sun slip behind the school. Blaine watched Kurt stare numbly ahead for a few minutes, before reaching out to grab his hand.

"Are you ok?" Blaine asked.

Kurt shook his head, snapping back to the present.

"Yeah, of course. Yes." But Blaine barely believed him. He plugged in his iPod without another word and they harmonized to "Blackbird" all the way home to Kurt's house.

_Of course._


	2. Chapter 2

**Bleeding Heart - Chapter 2**

[I don't own Glee or any of its characters.]

* * *

_Later that night..._

After dinner, Kurt slipped upstairs to change his sweater, having sloshed dirty dishwater all over himself while cleaning. "I'll be right back," he said quietly, leaving Blaine and Burt standing in the kitchen together, staring at the doorway after him.

They had started dinner talking about what happened after school, how long Blaine had this problem—"it's genetic"—which adults at school knew, which friends, but Blaine and Burt exchanged a glance that meant, "Don't scare Kurt." By the end of the meal, as they all helped washing dishes, the conversation had shifted dramatically back to normal fun things, Gaga's musical journey, New York, even Burt's shop, and everyone felt much lighter. Once Kurt left the room and it was just Blaine and Burt, though, all pretenses were dropped, and Blaine knew this was coming.

"So how serious is this, Blaine?" he started, his voice lowered. "I've had my fair share of heart problems and I want you to be straight with me. You're my son's boyfriend and I care about you."

Blaine had been ready for this and knew he couldn't lie to Burt.

"It can be pretty bad, sir," Blaine said quietly.

"For the last time, call me Burt. If there's a chance we might share the same cardiologist some day, that's the least you can do," he half-joked. Blaine chuckled, relaxing a little.

"Well, like I said before, with Long QT, management is basic, I just have to make sure I take my meds and I'm pretty much golden. If I ever get extremely stressed out though, things can get tricky, regardless of meds. For me, things have never escalated to the point where my doctors insist I need a pacemaker, but that's something that I may need in the future. Having Long QT means when I get worked up, my heart beats way faster than other people, so I have to take it easy, which can be really hard."

"But you've been managing it ok so far," Burt encouraged him in a fatherly way. "I'm proud of you, this can't be an easy thing to control at your age."

Blaine was taken aback, and nodded. "Thanks," he replied. Burt could see how this problem contributed to his early maturity. Blaine continued.

"I want you to know that I'm really safe with Kurt, and I never want to make him worry. That's why I hadn't told him. And I really appreciate you getting it, not a lot of people do."

Burt nodded. "You're probably right, but do me a favor. I know my son pretty well, and nothing makes him worry more than being kept in the dark. Trust me. Be honest with him. We all need people like Kurt to keep us strong even when we don't think we need it."

"Thanks, Burt."

"Of course, kiddo," he replied, and pulled him into a dad hug. Just then, Kurt peeled around the corner in a fuzzy gray sweater.

"Everything ok in here?" he asked gingerly. Burt and Blaine smiled back at him.

"Yeah, I was just telling Blaine here that if he wanted to spend the night that's a-ok with me. Just no funny-business," he lifted an eyebrow jokingly, but the boys knew he meant it.

Blaine joined Kurt across the kitchen and tugged his hand happily.

"Thanks, dad" "Thanks, Burt" they replied in sincere, albeit giddy, unison.

Burt shook his head, smiling, as he heard the boys tumble up the stairs and flip on Kurt's stereo. When he heard laughter coming through the floor above, he knew things would be ok. Staring at the ceiling, Burt pressed his palms together in a quick moment to send a thankful thought up to someone he hoped was listening.

_Keep us safe_, he prayed. _Keep us healthy, together, happy._

He put the last plate away and headed back to the living room to catch he last few minutes of the news before nodding off in his chair.

In the dark bedroom, Blaine laid peacefully across Kurt's sheets, his chest rising and falling rhythmically, his hand resting gently over Kurt's heart. Kurt looked down at him and kissed the top of his head sweetly, moving ever so slightly to avoid waking him up. In the dark, Kurt's phone glowed brightly against his face, as he read all he could about Blaine's condition. The worst description was by far the one from Mayo Clinic:

"Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a heart rhythm disorder that can potentially cause fast, chaotic heartbeats. These rapid heartbeats may trigger a sudden fainting spell or seizure. In some cases, your heart may beat erratically for so long that it can cause sudden death."

Sudden death. Kurt dropped his phone when he read that one. Blaine stirred and Kurt pretended he was sleeping, but his phone glowed guiltily beside him. Blaine squinted up at Kurt's before snuggling deeper into him.

"Can't sleep?" he mumbled into Kurt's shoulder.

"Mmm," was all that he replied.

"Kurt," Blaine whispered.

"Yeah?" he whispered back.

"Thank you for loving me."

Both boys' chests swelled together as they smiled sleepily in the dark. Everyone's hearts seemed to be working just fine.


	3. Chapter 3

**Bleeding Heart - Chapter 3**

[I do not own Glee or any of its characters.]

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Blaine pretended he didn't notice Kurt watching him like a hawk. As they got dressed for their final Glee performance of the year, however, the stakes were higher than ever, and part of him was glad Kurt took him to a quiet corner to "get their Zen on" as he had been calling it.

"This is Nationals, Blaine," Kurt said under his breath.

"I know," Blaine replied quietly, his jaw clenched. Sweat was glistening on his brow.

"Are you feeling ok?" he asked. Kurt's eyes flicked quickly to Blaine's chest and he hoped he didn't notice.

"I'm fine, Kurt, don't worry. It's just hot back here and I'm nervous, like everyone else. We're gonna be great. You're going to be wonderful," he breathed, pulling his hand and kissing him on his cheek.

Kurt blushed.

"Ok, well let's go break some legs, then," Kurt said excitedly as the group moved to take their places. As Kurt turned away, Blaine inwardly checked himself, ignoring the butterflies in his stomach. It was show time.

As they took the stage and began belting out their set, everyone moved together flawlessly. From the tips of their fingers to their toes to every spin across the floor, the New Directions exploded with a power befitting the title of National Champions. Every note was rounded, every move was sharp, and as they glided across the floor during their final number, Kurt stole a glance at Blaine, who was already beaming back at him, a smile plastered across his face. Assuming their closing position, the audience roared louder than it had all night, and they ran off stage in a manic glory, cheering, jumping and high-fiving each other as the curtains closed.

As everyone kept running down the catwalk backstage back to the dressing room, Blaine slowed down and let the others pass him, bending over to rest his hands on his knees and breathe. Kurt was behind him and watched as Blaine waved the others on, smiling, taking a few deep breaths. As Kurt scampered up next to Blaine, he ran his hand up his back and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"We did it!" Kurt whispered ecstatically. Blaine looked up at him and Kurt's stomach dropped when he saw that his smile had faded to something much more pained.

"Are you okay?" he asked seriously, pulling him over to the wall as the next group of performers shuffled past them to get to the stage.

"Yeah," he lied breathlessly, his eyes becoming heavy.

"No, you're not, tell me what you need," Kurt whispered frantically. Blaine swayed on the spot.

"Hold me," he whimpered, "Breathe, hurry-"

Kurt scrambled up next to him and pulled him in as tightly as he could, wrapping his arms around him and shushing in his ear. He could feel Blaine shaking against him.

"My heart," he breathed, "is racing," he whispered into his shoulder.

"I know, calm down, we're ok, you did great out there," Kurt replied softly, glad Blaine couldn't see his face wracked with worry.

After a few minutes standing in that position, breathing together, Blaine finally pulled away slowly and took Kurt's hand, smiling at him tiredly.

"Thank you, I'm sorry," he started, "I thought was gonna pass out for a second there."

"I know," Kurt replied, searching his face in the dark half-glow.

"I'm okay, just excited, we're good," he said, straightening up, that grin beaming in the dark.

"Okay, good" Kurt replied, kissing him lightly on the forehead. "Let's go find everyone, I think we might actually win this thing."

"I know!" Blaine laughed, as the stage manager shushed them fiercely, just now taking notice of them. They both bowed at the woman in the headset, and skipped back to their dressing room, back to their seats, never letting go of each other.

And they won.

* * *

**Coming up...**

_**Two years later, in New York, things get more complicated...**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Bleeding Heart - Chapter 4**

[I do not own Glee or any of its characters.]

* * *

TWO YEARS LATER

Turning the corner just as the street lamps came on, Kurt wrapped his fingers tightly around Blaine's hand, the brisk chill of autumn nipping at their sleeves. Striding down the block toward their 4th floor walk-up, the pair beamed with a kind of impenetrable confidence and comfort that was earned. Their seasoned New York routine of love, care, and creativity had gotten them through some of their worst times—Kurt's dad being diagnosed with cancer, Blaine's parents getting divorced. Now they moved together as one, complementing each other, appearing balanced, whole. Both were enrolled at NYADA and although class competition was traditionally cutthroat, the pair brought a new peace to the department—even Rachel agreed. Apart from school, Blaine was working part-time teaching dance at an after school program in Alphabet City and Kurt was the most fashionable barista on his block. Together, they made it work, and as Kurt breathed into his scarf to warm up his face, he stole a glance at Blaine.

Blaine was nodding to their neighbor two buildings down who could be found all times of day pushing a stroller with at least 3 kids dangling off her. She always provided a colorful contrast to the brownstone buildings on their block, and Blaine's smile reached up to his eyes every time he saw her, which never went unnoticed by Kurt.

"Someday," Kurt whispered in Blaine's ear.

"I know," Blaine replied, stealing a quick kiss on Kurt's cheek and swinging himself around the rot iron gate to their front steps, hopping up each one gingerly.

"Alright, Rocky, move over," Kurt joked, as Blaine flipped up the grey hood from under his peacoat and jabbed the air dramatically.

"Do you want pasta or pasta tonight?" Blaine asked, as they began climbing the four flights of stairs to their apartment.

"Pasta!" Kurt replied, huffing behind him.

"My specialty!" Blaine cried, kissing his fingers in the air.

As they approached the fourth flight of stairs, the pair trudged side by side up to the final landing, and Kurt shoved his keys into the worn locks on the door. As Blaine waited, he leaned his head back against the doorframe and shut his eyes. Kurt couldn't help but pause to kiss the warm spot where Blaine's neck disappeared into his hoodie before pushing the door open.

"Mmm," Blaine hummed, smiling, "home."

As they entered the apartment, Kurt scooped up their beloved feline before she scampered down the hallway after Blaine, who he was convinced she loved more than him. Liza would always find Blaine no matter where he was in the apartment and curl herself up on him, even though Kurt was the one who fed her every night. He'd catch Blaine curled up in front of their makeshift fireplace and she'd be snuggled between him and his pile of books, or on top of his laptop when he was trying to record, or next to him in the window seat looking down at their street.

"Come on, Liza, Daddy's making us dinner," Kurt cooed, smushing the cat's gray face onto his own. To Kurt, nothing felt quite like a purring cat's happy face. _Purr back_, he thought, before placing her back down on the hardwood floor to let her chase after Blaine who had already begun peeling off his layers in the bedroom.

From the kitchen, Kurt could see Blaine pull his last layer over his head and replace it with his favorite chunky maroon sweater with the big stretched out neck and the hole under the arm. He didn't bother putting on pants over his boxer briefs and pulled on his Ugg boots quickly, scratching his head and stretching his side gracefully before turning and padding over to the kitchen where Kurt had been opening a Pellegrino.

"Can we listen to Patsy Cline tonight?" Blaine asked, approaching their busted up but somehow still functional record player.

"Sure, whatever you want, B," Kurt called, entering the bedroom to slip into his own comfy clothes.

"Ah," Blaine started, "was it just me, or was Bankov particularly cruel today? If I had to do one more lift, I thought my arms were going to fall off."

"No, I think they just fed the girls bricks at lunch."

Blaine laughed, "Straight up lead."

"But yeah, I'm totally sore. Let's stretch it out after dinner," Kurt sighed, emerging from the bedroom in black leggings, Uggs, and his oversized NYADA sweatshirt.

Blaine had already put the water on for dinner and was preparing Kurt's salad, because they both knew that "pasta" for Kurt meant a salad and a bite of Blaine's spaghetti.

"Do you need any help?" Kurt asked, taking a seat on one of the barstools on the other side of their tiny kitchen counter.

"Nope, you just sit and look pretty," Blaine said.

"Done," Kurt smiled, letting his chin rest on his hand while he watched Blaine go to work. After a few minutes, his eyes wandered to the front of the refrigerator, where Kurt had plastered pictures of Blaine and Kurt kissing in Central Park, a picture of Kurt and his dad in front of the Statue of liberty, Blaine and Sam in superhero garb, Rachel dressed up as Barbara for Halloween. His eyes then fell onto the crinkled piece of paper stuck to the front with a magnet, _'Courage.' _It was the note Kurt stuffed in Blaine's jacket pocket when he went home for the first time after his parents got divorced.

"Wine?" Kurt asked.

"Sure," Blaine said softly, before returning to humming along to the crackled twangs from the record player.

Kurt opened one of the cabernets Finn and Rachel had given them from the bar. Finn had taken up bartending near NYADA to make ends meet and stumbled into a position working as a wine promoter. Not bad for a kid from Ohio with a fake ID. _Only in New York_.

As a general rule, Kurt and Blaine avoided talking about their parents because things had become so stressful on both ends, but as Kurt poured the wine, he took a risk.

"Heard anything new from Cooper?" Kurt asked.

Blaine's humming hitched abruptly.

"Uh, no. Nothing new," he replied nonchalantly. Blaine looked up quickly and continued.

"Heard anything from Burt and Carole?"

"Yeah, actually. They're planning a big Thanksgiving this year, and they wanted to see if we're coming. I know we talked about going on a trip for Thanksgiving this year, but everyone's going to be there. What do you think?" Kurt asked. He tried to gauge Blaine's expression. He had only been back to Ohio a handful of times since his parents' divorce, and they had all been pretty traumatic—once to show up in court, another time for a grandparent's funeral, which turned into a DUI for his dad, it wasn't pretty.

"Do you want to go?" Blaine asked after a few seconds.

"I think it could be fun. Plus we'd get to see Mr. Shue's baby girl…" Kurt smiled, knowing he was being unfair by pulling out the baby card. Blaine let out a deep breath as Kurt handed him his wine.

"Okay, let's do it. It will be good to see your parents, too," Blaine smiled tiredly.

"Yay!" Kurt squealed, kissing Blaine excitedly and toasting their glasses. "I'll call my dad tomorrow." After a few seconds, he turned back to Blaine. "Hey, I love you," he breathed.

Blaine smiled and tilted his head back to their boiling dinner. "I love you, too," he replied softly, his brow furrowing at the familiar too-fast drumming in his chest. At the same time Kurt's phone started buzzing from their pile of keys and bags by the front door. Kurt stumbled over himself to reach the phone before it hit voicemail.

"Hey, Rachel—yeah, I do think we're going—great ok—let's try to book tickets together—"

As Kurt wandered into the corner talking to Rachel about plans they had clearly already been coordinating, Blaine coolly grabbed a glass of water and noiselessly snagged one of his pills from the spare orange bottle in the cupboard next to the refrigerator. Just as he finished gulping down the pill and water, Kurt emerged next to their makeshift dining table near the kitchen.

"Thirsty?" he asked, eyeing the water dribbling down Blaine's chin to his sweater.

"Hungry," Blaine covered, wiping his face, "let's eat."

As they took their seats across from each other under the string of lights next to the kitchen, they toasted their glasses again.

"To us, to love," Kurt said softly, beaming at Blaine, who was smoldering back at him from behind his wine glass. A smile tugged at both their mouths as they sipped their wine and ate their modest dinner, thinking of what was in store later that night, Kurt's kiss still burning on Blaine's neck from almost an hour ago.

* * *

_Stay tuned... comments?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Bleeding Heart - Chapter 5**

[I do not own Glee or any of its characters.]

* * *

In the crisp dark morning air in their apartment, Blaine woke to the soft buzzing glow of his cell phone against his sheets, 5:15AM. His hair was pushed up on his forehead in all different directions, and he slipped out from between the sheets in a quiet swish, feet landing on the cold hardwood floor. Shivering, he tip toed to the boudoir and pulled on his track pants, hoodie, and running shoes, before delicately kissing a sleeping Kurt's warm forehead just peeking out from under the covers. Grabbing his earbuds and keys, he threw one last look over his shoulder at the rumpled pile of sheets and clothing strewn across the bed, remembering Kurt's hot breath in his ear last night as he cried and poured into him. The tiny grey cat head curled up in the middle of the scene summed up the feeling perfectly. _Happy_.

"I love you," he whispered into the room, and set off on his usual morning run.

It was 6:18AM when Kurt's phone exploded into a frenzy of flashing lights and Lady Gaga instrumental on the night stand. Bleary eyed, he reached over groggily to make the seemingly ear-splitting sound stop when he noticed it wasn't his alarm, but his boyfriend's face lighting up the screen. _Always with the early rising._

"Blainey, 5 more minutes.." Kurt whined into the phone, rubbing his eyes. On the receiving end, all he could hear was a crackling sound and the panicked whoosh of heavy breathing.

"Kurt…" Blaine wheezed.

"Where are you?" Kurt demanded, bolting out of bed and grabbing his keys.

"Down…stairs.."

Kurt was running full speed from the bedroom, grabbing the emergency kit by the front door, and flying down the four flights of stairs through the front door of their building. Blaine was sprawled out across the concrete leading up to the steps of their building, his phone cast aside next to him, his whole body shaking. Kurt was beside him in two strides and rushed to place his palms on either side of his trembling head. Staring down into Blaine's face, he started counting. _ No more than a minute. No more than a minute. 26, 27, 28…_

"I love you," Kurt said more forcefully than he intended, "I love you, you're gonna be ok, baby," he stammered. _39, 40, 41…Baby your lips are blue… 49, 50…_

Kurt's hand flew to the emergency kit he had thrown down next to him and ripped open the Velcro top, flipped on the switch to charge the device the doctor gave him to shock his boyfriend in a life or death emergency. Reaching forward and ripping open the zipper of Blaine's hoodie, he prepared to go into full emergency meltdown and had already dialed 9-1 before Blaine's shaking subsided suddenly. _57…58…_ Blaine's chest was rising and falling peacefully as though he could almost be sleeping, and Kurt clutched his hands against the sides of his face once more, watching exhausted tears leak out of the corners of Blaine's eyes.

"Blaine, baby, open your eyes," he demanded clearly, "Blaine, open your eyes." After a pause, Blaine's long lashes lifted a millimeter and a tiny whine escaped his lips, he squinted upwards. A flood of relief washed over Kurt as he almost smothered Blaine in kisses. "You're okay, look you're okay, oh my god, Blaine, you're okay, I love you," Kurt breathed hugging him from any angle he could find. Immediately, his hand dove back into his emergency bag and dug out a host of pills, beta blockers, potassium and a mini water bottle. "Take these now, right now," he ordered, slowly pulling Blaine into a sitting position, and gently rolling the pills into his open mouth. Blaine was too weak to lift his arms but was opening and closing his fists slowly. Kurt tipped the water back into his mouth and Blaine swallowed weakly, some color returning to his face. Kurt rocked him back and forth for a few minutes like that, their breathing becoming one.

"Feeling better?" Kurt asked gently, as he wrapped his arms tighter around Blaine.

"Yeah," Blaine whispered, sniffing as another tear made a delicate smack against the skin of Kurt's bare arm, "… thank you," he breathed. "I was so…scared, I thought—" he started. Kurt shushed him gently, "You're okay, I'm here, and everything is working."

"Where are your shoes?" Blaine asked quietly.

"Oh," Kurt looked at his naked feet, "I forgot." Suddenly he became aware that he was wearing only his boxers and a V-neck, and it was easily 30 degrees outside. "Let's get you inside," Kurt said, lifting Blaine's arm over his shoulder. "Oh wait, let me grab—" he reached down to flip off the AED and Blaine noticed it next to them for the first time.

"You were going to—" Blaine started.

"Almost," Kurt whispered, kissing Blaine's temple, "but you're okay." Pink flushed in Blaine's cheeks and his brow furrowed.

"I love you," Kurt said softly. "Now let me show you how strong I am. Blaine Warbler, I am going to carry you to the 4th floor," Kurt stated grandly, as if it were fact. A smile twitched at the corners of Blaine's eyes.

"Kurt, I don't think you—" he started.

"I WILL CARRY YOU TO THE TOP!" Kurt shouted, and a full smile burst across Blaine's face.

"Okay okay," Blaine chuckled, "let's go then."

Kurt heaved Blaine up into his arms and huffed awkwardly up the six steps to the landing at the front door of their building before setting him down, exhausted, both of them laughing tiredly.

"Alright, fine, you can walk, I'll let you," Kurt sighed, "but we are taking it slow."

"You know how I like it slow," Blaine chuckled under his breath, shooting a weighted glance at his boyfriend as Kurt shifted himself under Blaine's arm to help him up the steps.


	6. Chapter 6

Bleeding Heart - Chapter 6

[I do not own Glee or any of its characters.]

(smut alert)

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It was two weeks until Christmas and Kurt and Blaine were walking home hand in hand after another wild dinner at Rachel's house. Finn had tried his hand at recreating his mom's world famous eggnog but he somehow managed to turn their drinks into what tasted like a pure alcoholic froth. The result was a long evening of showtunes and Christmahanukah ballads by the fireplace and whether it was the rum or the warm blankets or the holiday spirit, Blaine was holding Kurt's hand tighter than usual in that fervent way, desperately, intoxicated by the smell of Kurt's skin, his tinkling laugh. With both their noses and cheeks red with the cold and drink, a sweet burning sensation rolled up between Blaine's knees as they turned the corner away from Finn and Rachel's block. There were twinkle lights in trees all the way home, and he couldn't help but almost stare Kurt in the face as they moved from streetlamp to streetlamp. As Kurt huffed into the winter night air, a cloud of steam curled away from his mouth as he smiled, babbling on about something or another. Blaine couldn't hear anything he was saying, he only whimpered at the thought of that warm breath on his face. After they had walked on for a few moments, Kurt finally stopped talking and stared back at Blaine as they continued down the street.

"You're awfully quiet," he started, a coy smile edging across his lips. "What are you thinking about?" Kurt asked.

Blaine inhaled deeply, his voice lowering, "Just you," he smiled back, mischievously.

"Oh yeah?" Kurt replied, in that practiced I-have-you-right-where-I-want-you way.

"My feet are really tired," Blaine lied, slowing down, eyeing the dark nooks between the rows of front steps evenly spaced apart between buildings. The street was quiet, except for another Christmas party a few buildings ahead of them, and the asphalt was wet with the snow that had already melted, it was warmer than usual for December. The hair on the back of Blaine's neck stood on end as another reel of excitement rolled through him.

"Well, why don't we stop, then?" Kurt whispered, radiating back the same hot energy from beneath his peacoat. The chains on his leather boots clicked together as Blaine tugged him gently to the dark corner between the staircases of one brownstone building and another.

As soon as Blaine's fingers grazed the cold brick, their mouths collided desperately in inky darkness. Kurt pushed him up hard against the rough wall. Blaine felt Kurt's fingers wind up the back of his neck as he pulled his face hard against his own, both of them gasping for breath as they slid tongues against tongues and dragged sharp teeth across swollen lips. Blaine pushed his entire body up against Kurt's as their legs became entwined and their hips connected, warm and hard. A tremor shook down through Kurt's body as Blaine's hand moved to the front of his tight designer jeans, teasing with the zipper. Blaine glossed his tongue down the side of Kurt's neck and ran his teeth across his skin back up to his ear, a low "mmm" buzzing from his chest.

"Have you been good this year?" Blaine whispered, dragging his teeth over Kurt's ear and sucking hard on his neck, making a soft moan erupt involuntarily from Kurt's open mouth.

"Yes," Kurt replied in the breathless, gravelly voice only Blaine could coax out of him.

"What do you want for Christmas?" Blaine whispered again, flipping around and pushing Kurt's back against the wall, his hand still toy gently with Kurt's zipper.

"You," Kurt breathed, his head leaning back against the wall as Blaine pushed his hips hard against him. "Mmmm" he hummed as Blaine slowly slid down against his body until he was kneeling in front of Kurt in the dark. Looking up sweetly at Kurt's hooded eyes, panting, Blaine slowly unzipped the front of his jeans and took Kurt's length into his mouth before it even had a chance to reach the night air. Kurt moaned quietly, one hand behind Blaine's head as his hot mouth rocked slowly back and forth around his cock and the other hand covering his own mouth to stifle his throaty groans. Blaine's lips and tongue slipped wetly around his shaft as he sucked Kurt deeper into him. Kurt could feel himself start to inch down Blaine's throat as he thrust slowly with their rhythm, he felt Blaine's throat tense around him instinctively and then relax as he let Kurt push farther in and out and in. Looking down, Kurt tilted his head to see his full length expand and push deeper into his boyfriend's throat, Blaine's neck bulging slightly with each warm thrust. Before he could help it, he was pacing faster and pushing Blaine's head hard against his cock as he began to buck into his mouth more uncontrollably, Blaine's lips brushing against his balls with each thrust, taking him in to the hilt as Blaine started humming that familiar low note and his vocal chords vibrated up his shaft. Kurt was about to shake to pieces.

"Blaine… Blaine!" he gasped, as Blaine's hands gripped Kurt's hips, pushing him as deep down his throat as he could possibly go. Kurt erupted, causing Blaine to gag at first and then submit as Kurt pushed his cock as far down his throat as it could go, filling him with white liquid heat. Blaine swallowed his cock hungrily taking him even deeper, finally gasping for air as Kurt's form subsided.

Blaine sucked him gently until all the slippery wetness was gone, clean, and he was soft in the cold winter air. Breathing in the cold smell of New York at night in the winter and Kurt's warm scent, Blaine delicately tucked Kurt's cock back into his jeans and slowly slid back up Kurt's shivering body, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand before kissing Kurt softly on the lips. They pressed together, cheek to cheek as Blaine pulled Kurt into a tight embrace, interlocking his hands above Kurt's lower back.

"Merry Christmas, Kurt Hummel," he hummed, a smile twinkling across his face as he took a deep, satisfied breath, his heart fluttering against his ribs.

"Merry Christmas," Kurt whispered, wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck, pulling him in for one more warm kiss in the dark, just beyond the shimmering lights of the winter night.

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_Up next...what happens when things get too complicated with Klaine? /3?_


End file.
